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It’s Labour Day weekend, so that means Dimitri Tsoumpas is strapping on his uniform, muscling up and throwing around some heavy objects.

However, for the first time since 2007, Tsoumpas won’t be pushing around Edmonton Eskimos defenders on this holiday.

Instead, the retired Calgary Stampeders all-Canadian guard will be tossing Braemar stones, heavy hammers, cabers and a sheaf during the Calgary Highland Games.

The 28-year-old has traded in his No. 67 black and red jersey for a traditional Scottish kilt, but the new uniform suits him just fine.

“I was walking around the other day thinking ‘I don’t have pants on so this is kinda weird,’ ” Tsoumpas said with a laugh. “It’s almost like wearing a football uniform or putting on a suit to travel with the team. It makes it official. You wear shorts to train but when you put the kilt on you know it’s time to compete.

“It gives us big guys a chance to go out and so something. Let’s face it, we aren’t going jogging. We get out in the sun doing something athletic and you get to hang out with some friends. There are a lot of positives and it does fill that football void.”

Tsoumpas was feeling a little lost this winter after retiring from the Stamps. He started his outstanding CFL career in Calgary after being a first-round draft pick in 2008, and the routine and structure of the team guided him for six years — minus a half-year stint with the Miami Dolphins.

With no football on the horizon, the usual gym rat wasn’t really training for anything, and there was no outlet for his competitive urges. It wasn’t until a couple of workout buddies suggests trying out the Highland Games.

Two weekends and he was hooked. This summer, he’s entered four competitions around the province and found he’s part of this community already.

It’s not that Tsoumpas wanted to retire. Concussion issues forced him to make a decision for his health, and he was suddenly forced into his post-playing career. The Stamps hired him part-time as assistant strength and conditioning coach, and he also works Revolution Human Performance, but the transition to the ‘real’ world was a tough one for him.

“When you are in a professional athletic setting, you are conditioned for certain things,” Tsoumpas said. “You always have camaraderie, you have support, you have friendships. That’s stuff is around you. When you leave that setting . . . and you go into a new work setting, you work your eight hours and you don’t have that system built into it.

“A lot of guys suffer when they don’t know how to cultivate friendships and get community support. There are all these qualities included in a professional locker-room. From that standpoint, (Highland Games) gives me that stuff I was missing from playing professional football.

“It’s a great group of guys who are all ex-athletes. They all train and compete and have a common ground. We’re all working toward the same thing. We’re just competing against ourselves and against gravity. We don’t worry too much about what the next guy is doing.”

Some might look at Tsoumpas’ situation and figure his football career could continue eventually. Current Stampeders offensive lineman Dan Federkeil returned to action after four years out of football due to concussions, but Tsoumpas doesn’t plan on returning to the field.

He’s dropped about 25 pounds off his playing weight, he feels his health has improved and there is just too much risk. Plus, Tsoumpas got engaged to bobsledder Emily Baadsvik this spring, so there is plenty for the soon-to-be 29-year-old to be happy about.

Six CFL seasons in the trenches as the starting right guard meant there was a lot of helmet rattling, so he’s not going to do it again. That’s not to say he doesn’t miss it, but that will go away, especially if he has another competitive outlet where his head isn’t being put at risk.

“I have no regrets,” Tsoumpas said about his career. “We had one of the winningest teams. We had multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons with Joffrey (Reynolds) and (Jon) Cornish. We got that Grey Cup (in 2008), been to two of them.

“Aside from winning a CFL most outstanding lineman award, there was nothing left for me. Even then, the awards are so subjective. The way I played and approached things, I left nothing on the table. Even if I didn’t accomplish that stuff, I would still be happy because I knew I busted my butt and gave it my all.”

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